NASA

<p>As I watched the lunar landing on television, my part in the whole scenario took on a new meaning.</p>

<p><span class="deck">The first American to leave the Earth's atmosphere recalls the momentous flight that put us on a course for the Moon.</span></p>

<p><span class="deck">Sixty years ago this month, the Soviet Union orbited a “man-made moon” whose derisive chirp persuaded Americans that they’d already lost a race that had barely begun.</span></p>

<p><span class="deck">A FRONT-ROW SEAT FOR A NATIONAL TRAGEDY</span></p>

<p>Three days into their mission, two vital oxygen tanks exploded, seriously damaging Apollo 13's service module and forcing pilot Fred Haise, Jr. and his two fellow astronauts to scramble into the attached lunar module, where they plotted their course home, shivering in the cold on limited oxygen.</p>

<p><span class="deck">Practical, rather than idealistic, reasons pushed President Kennedy to challenge America to land a man on the moon within the decade.</span></p>

<p>The first man to set foot on the Moon 50 years ago this summer is remembered by his friend and colleague, a former astronaut and administrator at NASA.</p>

<p>The first American woman in space inspired thousands of girls dreaming of a career in science. </p>

<p>The U.S. Space &amp; Rocket Center in Huntsville showcases the rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the space program, as well as the legacy of Wernher von Braun and his team.</p>